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MIAMI, Fla. — As 1-of-3 teams who went through the first weekend of Conference USA action with a sweep and a 3-0 record, WKU Baseball looks to keep a perfect mark as the team faces its first road series of the season at FIU. The Friday-to-Sunday series between the Hilltoppers and Panthers from March 22-24 will have first pitch times of 6 p.m., 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. CT, respectively.
SERIES HISTORY
- FIU holds a 35-32 advantage in the all-time series and is 9-3 across four series since WKU joined C-USA prior to the 2015 season.
- The Hilltoppers are 12-17 on the road against the Panthers overall.
- WKU has an 8-9 record against FIU in games played in the month of March.
- Since first meeting in 1999, the Hilltoppers and Panthers have played every season except 2014.
- In the 20 series, each team has three sweeps, but FIU has won nine other sets while WKU has taken five.
- In Sun Belt Tournament meetings, the Hilltoppers have a 4-3 advantage over the Panthers.
WKU PREVIEW
- WKU past week recaps: FRIDAY vs. UAB (W, 5-4) | SATURDAY vs. UAB (W, 6-5) | SUNDAY vs. UAB (W, 5-3) | TUESDAY vs. Austin Peay (L, 3-5)
- The Hilltoppers are coming off their first sweep to begin league play since defeating Middle Tennessee three times from March 15-16, 2013, to open the Sun Belt portion of the schedule. It was the team's first sweep of a C-USA opponent since defeating UTSA three times from April 22-24, 2016.
- After allowing 15 runs to Kentucky in a midweek game on Wednesday, March 13, the WKU pitching staff rebounded to allow only 12 runs in the entirety of the series vs. UAB. It was the fewest runs allowed by the Hilltoppers in a home C-USA set since holding Middle Tennessee to six runs in a series sweep from March 25-27, 2015.
- On Friday, right fielder Jake Sanford hit WKU's first walk-off homerun since Kaleb Duckworth's two-run shot on Opening Day 2017 to give the Hilltoppers a 6-5 victory over Valparaiso.
- On Saturday, WKU rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the top of the first to keep the Blazers scoreless for the rest of the game, winning on a walk-off hit by designated hitterr Dillon Nelson.
- On Sunday, WKU turned a 5-4-3 triple play to end the fourth inning. It was the team's first triple play since Austin Peay hit into a 3-4 lineout against the Hilltoppers on April 14, 2009.
- Sanford launched a solo homerun to right-center field in the eighth inning against the Governors, becoming the second-straight Hilltopper to hit seven long balls within his first 20 games of the season, matching center fielder Jacob Rhinesmith. The future 18th round MLB Draft pick of the Washington Nationals hit his seventh homerun in the 16th game of the 2018 campaign.
- WKU is 8-4Â this season when holding opponents to six or fewer runs and 9-1 when scoring five or more runs.
FIU PREVIEW
- FIU past week recaps: FRIDAY at Marshall (W, 3-0) | SATURDAY at Marshall (L, 5-16) | SUNDAY at Marshall (L, 4-7) | WEDNESDAY at Florida State (L, 6-9)
- The Panthers enter the series with a 10-10 overall record and a 1-2 mark in C-USA play after losing 2-of-3 over the weekend to the Thundering Herd, and then another to the Seminoles in midweek action.
- Top hitters for FIU include left fielder Lorenzo Hampton, Jr. (.351/.412/.581 slash line with a team-high 11 extra-base hits and 17 runs scored) and first baseman Javier Valdes (.269/.449/.500 slash line with seven extra-base hits and a 17-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio). Meanwhile, third baseman Austin Shelton and right fielder Adan Fernandez boast batting averages under .250, but have combined for nine homeruns in 20 games.
- In an oddity, the Panthers have also turned a triple play in the past week. In the bottom of the sixth at Florida State, a Seminole batter attempted a sacrifice bunt with runners on the move from first and second. He popped up a 1-1 pitch to the first basemen, who caught it and fired to shortstop covering second, who then tossed it to the second baseman covering first for the 3-6-4 triple play.
- Friday night's starter for the Panthers will be lefty Logan Allen, who sports a 0.96 earned run average in five starts across 28 innings pitched. He has struck out a team-high 50 and walked only 10 while allowing 13 hits, and a .138 batting average against. He will likely be opposed in the opening game by WKU righty Eric Crawford, who has a 5.19 earned run average in eight appearances - two starts - in 17.1 innings pitched.
